Abuse And Therapy
by kellym01.2
Summary: Nodoka a therapist, her patient a child a young boy who's been abused in several ways starved and refuses to give his name or the name of his abuser what will Nodoka do when she learns the identity of the boy and sees her husband has failed to fulfill the contract and has practically destroyed her son I don't own Ranma 1/2 this is my first serious attempt at an Angst fic, very dark
1. Chapter 1

Nodoka let out a tired sigh, today she was receiving a new patient, she entered the building where the child was been held, she didn't understand why a child would need to be held in this place, only the more dangerous patients were contained her until they were either no longer a danger to themselves or others, the only other reason for someone to be here would be having endured a severe traumatic experience of one form or another and the patient was unstable.

'Why would a child be here…surely it can't be that bad' Nodoka though to herself, hoping she was right and he was only in here by mistake or some form of technicality, perhaps a risk assessment but she doubted it, she knew in her gut how wrong she was, this facility was used to determine if people needed to go to an asylum or just in case the patient was too dangerous.

Nodoka headed up to the floor she was told her patient would be, glancing over his file one last time before approaching his room. From the picture Nodoka could see the boy couldn't have been more than eleven or twelve, the file described him thoroughly, he shunned away from all forms of human contact and constantly showed fear when approached, she soon read the reason he was here, apparently those who found him, lying in an alley, half dead, tried to take him to a hospital ended up in hospital with several broken bones and even some torn muscles and internal bleeding.

Nodoka hesitantly reached for the door, unlocking it before slowly entering, closing it slowly once she was within the room, the room was bare, light blue stone walls, little light, two chairs, one for her and at the opposite side of the small room one for him.

Nodoka slowly made her way to her seat, not making eye contact or making any sudden, fast, movements, once she took her seat she looked towards the chair to find it empty, she heard the rattling of some chains, she turned to locate its source.

What she saw brought tears to her eyes, for before her was the young boy from the file, huddled in the corner, curled in on himself, one eye peeking out, shaking with fear as was his entire body, his hands were cuffed together allowing near no movement, the chain attaching them to a wall, Nodoka knew the chains length would only stop him from reaching her and the door, not the chair or most of his side of the room.

Nodoka could clearly see the tears been held back by sheer force of will alone, he reminded her so much of her own son, but she hadn't seen him for a decade or so now, she thought of him constantly, she tried not to think of him, she had to focus.

"Hello, my name is Nodoka, I have come here to help you" Nodoka said, using the kindest tone she could muster, the boy only curled up tighter and pushed further against the corner.

"Can you tell me your name?" Nodoka asked.

No reply.

"How old are you?" she tried again.

No reply.

"Do you know where your mother is?" she asked, hoping for some form of reply, the boy looked up from his knees, revealing his cyan eyes, Nodoka fought back a gasp when she saw a single scar going through his left eye.

"Mother?" the boy croaked, his voice hoarse as if he hadn't used it in a while.

"Yes, do you know where she is?" she asked.

"What's a mother?" the boy croaked, Nodoka stiffened, his question echoing throughout her mind.

'He doesn't…even know what a mother is' Nodoka gasped within her mind, tears beginning to swell up within them.

"Your mother is who gave birth to you, a mother is supposed to protect you, show you're loved" Nodoka replied, she saw no realization within the boys eyes.

"Then I don't have one" the boy replied, his eyes dropping, Nodoka let out a small sigh.

"What about your father?" Nodoka asked, hope appearing in her eyes, the boy visibly flinched and pushed himself further back against the wall, Nodoka decided to avoid that topic for now.

"Where do you live?" she asked.

"Nowhere" came the reply.

"You mean you're homeless…did you run away from home?" Nodoka asked.

"I ran away…but I never had a home" the boy replied.

"Where have you been living?" Nodoka asked.

"Everywhere" came the reply, his voice a little less hoarse but still ruff.

"What do you mean?" Nodoka asked.

"We travelled" came the reply.

"Oh…why didn't you stay in the same place?" Nodoka asked.

"We had to keep moving…keep…training…" came the reply, his voice became weak and full of emotion with the last word, Nodoka noticed.

"What did the training consist of?" Nodoka asked.

"He…would beat me, said it would build up my stamina…make me stronger…when we had food I would have to defend my food while eating it or I wouldn't eat…we'd get up with the sun and…train…" he responded, Nodoka couldn't believe what she was hearing.

'What kind of monster would do this to him…he's never had a home, been beaten and he doesn't even know what a mother is' Nodoka practically screamed within her mind, salty tears beginning to slide down her cheeks.

"Who did you…train with?" Nodoka asked.

No reply.

"How long has _he _been training you?" Nodoka asked.

"Ever since I can remember" came the reply, Nodoka right now just wanted to go over to the small boy and hug him, tell him everything will be alright and take him home but she knew, not only could she not do that but she also doubted it was going to be alright.

"Did he do anything else besides beating you?" Nodoka asked.

No reply, Nodoka noticed the boy close up into a tighter ball.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" she asked hoping to get him to uncurl or…something, anything.

"Brother? Sister?" he questioned, Nodoka couldn't believe this the more she asked the worse it got.

"Where do you go to school?" she asked.

"I don't" came the reply

"Why?" she asked.

"Po…he said it was a waste of time…that all I…need is the art…that school is pointless…I went for a week once…but not since" he replied, Nodoka noticed his slip of tongue, noting it down for later, at the moment though it was growing harder for her to control her rage, she couldn't believe what this boy was telling her, then again she'd heard worse in terms of abuse but she had a bad feeling that she'd barely scratched the surface.

"Are you thirsty?" Nodoka asked, noticing the water provided hadn't been touched and she was hoping to see the boy uncurl, he didn't reply only nod.

"Then have some water it's yours" Nodoka replied as she indicated to a large clear plastic bottle, filled with water, the boy licked his dry lips but was hesitant to go towards it, Nodoka watched as the boy stood up and approached the small table where the water was, eyes widening when she saw the condition of his body.

He was covered in dirt and dark maroon stains, blood stains, the flesh of his arms were decorated with scars and bruises, her shirt and pants torn in several places, showing a few glances of more scars on his body, Nodoka's eyes widened further when she saw he was malnourished, his skin was fairly pale and when he had been getting up his shirt had lifted and she could see an almost perfect outline of her ribs, from the look of him she was surprised he was able to stand yet he walked barley hindered by his injuries.

The boy took hold of the water, lifting both his hands up to drink it, downing it in a single breath before panting heavily as he dropped the bottle.

'Poor kid…he was dying of thirst and it looks like he hasn't had a decent meal in weeks maybe even months' Nodoka sighed within her mind, tears streaming down her face once again, unable to stand seeing a child about the same age as her own so badly beaten, the mother within screaming out to protect the child.

"When was the last time you ate or drank anything?" Nodoka asked, the boy headed back to his corner.

"I haven't eaten for four days and last I drank was…" he trailed off "When did it rain?" he asked, Nodoka stiffened once again, the boy had been living on rain water.

"Three days ago" Nodoka answered on instinct.

"How did you get those scars?" she then asked, doubting a human could have made them, the boy flinched, eyes widening in terror, Nodoka could practically see images playing behind his eyes, remembering how he got the scars, he curled back into a ball, tighter than before, Nodoka was alarmed by this reaction, afraid to even think about what had been done to him.

Beep, beep.

She glanced down at her watch, her time was up, she'd been talking to the boy for two hours now and still didn't know who he was, where he was from, who his parents are or how he ended up in the city.

"I'm afraid I have to go now…but I'll be back tomorrow…a man will come and take you to your room in about half an hour" Nodoka said before taking her notes and heading out the door, closing and locking it once she was out, hating herself for doing it but it was a precaution that everyone had to follow or risk losing their jobs, Nodoka head down the hallway and once she was certain there was no way the boy or anyone would hear or see her she opened the flood gates, sobbing violently as tears gushed out of her eyes, her legs shaking as she continued to walk.

A/N First attempt at an angst fic, tell me what you think, open to any pointers, tips, suggestions anything, plz review.


	2. Chapter 2

Saotome Residence…

By the time Nodoka arrived back home it was dark out and the full moon was shining brightly, she sauntered through the door, locking it before heading over to her arm chair and collapsing into it, her eyes beam red, making it more than obvious she had been crying. She weakly looked over to her left to the coffee table beside her chair. Atop it was a single picture in a frame, a corner torn away, within the picture was herself lying in a hospital bed, holding her new born son and where her husband once stood beside her was torn away, her gaze landed on the image of the small baby, a smile growing upon her face, tears beginning to slide down her cheek.

This was the reason she worked so far from home, to help people, to bring families together whenever she could because she failed to keep her own together, she failed to protect her baby and now she would never see him again and she swore she would never let anyone else feel what she felt or go through what she went through, never.

She remembered the day it happened. She remembered the night before, how her husband and told her he would train their son in the art and in order to make him strong enough, so that he would not be weak he would have to take their son away, so she couldn't weaken him with the love of his mother. She had been furious.

Flashback…

"How dare you even consider taking my baby away from me" Nodoka spat, all her wife she had wanted a baby, she didn't not care whether it be boy or girl just as long as it was hers, her baby, something to love and hell itself would freeze over a thousand times before she'd let her husband take him.

"Nodoka be reasonable Ranma needs to be strong so he can be the heir for the Saotome School Of Anything Goes Martial Arts and marry one of Tendo's daughters and produce a strong heir for the school" Genma declared, pounding his chest with his fist dominantly.

"Reasonable?! How the hell is this reasonable, he can barely walk and you want to take him away from me and torture him and you even dare to involve Kimiko's baby girls in this, they are babies Genma not objects or possessions to be used to fulfil your sick dreams" Nodoka spat.

"How dare you, this is a matter of honour" Genma roared.

"Honour, the school you want to 'train' Ranma in was founded by a pervert and a thief, it's based on deception and trickery, Anything Goes hah even the name is dishonourable, just think what the name actually means…and I don't care for the honour you speak of, my baby will not be used by you as some bargaining chip to give you an easy life" Nodoka spat, her voice filled with venom and a fire in her eyes. She knew his plan all too well, 'train' Ranma and then marry him off to a Tendo and live off his work.

"This for the boy's own could, I will make him strong Nodoka, he will be the best martial artist of his generation" Genma declared proudly.

"Bull shit, this is not for his own good, it is for your own, bring this up again and I will force you to redeem the honour you abandoned by training under Happosai by ritual seppuku" Nodoka spat, Genma stiffened when he heard the dreaded master's name and went pale when his wife finished her threat and he knew she'd deliver, thanks to Ranma's birth Nodoka could have no more children and he'd seen just how protective a mother could be when he tried to 'liberate' a child to be his heir before he met Nodoka.

"Very well, I am so sorry Nodoka please forgive me" Genma begged, using the crouching tiger technique, inwardly smirking as an idea began to form within his head. The next day Nodoka had to go to work and had hired a babysitter for Genma, a huge man who appeared to be just a mountain of muscle had arrived, armed with a cutlass on his belt, if only she'd known.

Genma took Ranma, placing a note in the crib and drugged his 'babysitter's' tea when he wasn't looking before delivering a powerful blow to the head and charging off on a training journey, swearing he would make Ranma a man among men.

When Nodoka returned home her blood ran cold, her skin turned pale when she saw the babysitter on the floor unconscious, she ran, ran to Ranma's crib. Tears welling up in her eyes, her legs shaking violently as did her entire body as she began to sob and cry for in the crib was not her baby, no but a seppuku contract, signed by Genma's thumb print and her baby's hand prints, she ran out searching for them, calling neighbours, friends, acquaintances, family, police even a few contacts in the Yakuza, begging them to find her son.

But to no avail Ranma and Genma had vanished and she was left alone, cursing herself for not staying home with Ranma instead of going to work, she had been foolish to believe the man she hired would stop Genma and now she would never see her little baby again.

End Flashback…

Nodoka hunched over, violently sobbing, images of the boy and her son fresh in her mind, beginning to merge as she imagined her own son been beaten by Genma so much that he flinched away from human contact, was starved and dehydrated, she imagined him on the edge of death and there nothing she could do, she kept in contact with the Tendos, she knew Genma would show up eventually but every second made her feel like her heart was been torn apart and she knew deep down the true reason was the fear that Genma would return to tell her, her son had died and was buried in some unmarked shallow grave or even worse she would receive a post card saying the same thing.

Meanwhile…

Ranma was escorted to a room for the night, the staff been extremely cautious, armed with sedatives with permission to sedate him should he show any sign of resistance like he had when he was brought in. But he didn't, he showed no resistance.

Ranma acted like an empty shell, like he was hollow, no spirit or will of his own, his mind hidden deep within his mind, what he had learned from Nodoka echoed within his mind, learning what a mother was and that he didn't have one, that everything he thought was normal was not, that he had suffered without reason.

A door opened in front of him, it was large and metallic, a single open slot at the top to allow some light in, the inside was padded.

"You'll be staying here tonight, tomorrow Dr Saotome will finish asking you questions and we will determine if you'll be staying in this room or move into another room or even another location, food will be brought up soon" the man said, he appeared to be of average build with short dark hair, if only he knew he'd how big a mistake he'd just made.

Ranma froze, his body stiffening, the name echoing throughout his mind 'Saotome, Saotome, Saotome' the name his father bore and used, the name he was cursed with, he turned to face the man, his hand s became fists, the man didn't even have a chance to process what was happening before it happened.

Ranma leapt up and delivered a powerful kick to the centre of his chest, a sickening crack was heard as the man went flying back, his partner charged at Ranma from the side, needle in hand only to have Ranma vanish, the man hesitated, unaware of just how fast Ranma was, he kicked off the ceiling and struck the back of his neck, knocking him out instantly. Ranma landed gracefully and began to approach the other man, when he suddenly hunched over in pain and his stomach announced its hunger.

Ranma felt it, all his energy drain away before collapsing unconscious on the floor, the still conscious man called for assistance, Ranma was thrown into the room and locked in and his escorts were taken to the hospital for treatment.

Dream…

Ranma found himself stood in a valley, a valley full of pools, going as far as he or anyone could see and then some, he looked down at his body, from the size he could see he was younger.

"Well boy it is time to tell you the reason I dragged you here" Genma said with an evil glint in his eye, Ranma shivered, hugging himself, the night before still fresh in his memory, he remembered what his father did, what he always did, he would of preferred to be just tossed back into the pit again, no he just wanted to die, that was it. Every night for longer than he could remember his…father…had done things to him, things he could and would never think of.

"I have come here to give you a new body and make sure you maintain your youth forever" Genma stated, Ranma shivered, fear gripping him, he hated to think what he meant but he got the message, after today Genma would use him forever like he used him every night.

Genma gripped Ranma by the neck, lifting off the ground before throwing him into one of the springs, he smirked when he was a young redheaded girl resurface.

"Perfect now whenever you are splashed with cold water you will gain the body of a six year old girl" Genma declared, smirking darkly, lust glowing in his eyes, Ranma shook in fear, she knew what this was and she knew it would hurt, he liked it when it hurt, her father enjoyed pain.

Morning…

Ranma sat up with incredible speed and force, eyes wide, his body drenched in sweat, he curled into a ball and began to rock himself, shaking in fear, hoping someone would comfort him but he knew no one would, he knew if anyone tried they would hurt him, he knew the only reason people wanted him around was to use him, he knew he could trust no one.

'Would things have been different if I had a mother?' Ranma asked himself within his mind, unable to imagine a mother or anyone showing him kindness, he shook his head violently.

'No, nothing would change…just somebody else to use me' Ranma spat back within his mind, tears streaming down his cheeks.

A/N Darker than I originally planned, Genma gets worse with every chapter it seems, plz review and open for suggestions.


	3. Chapter 3

The door to Ranma's 'cell' opened and three large men entered the room, all of them muscular, Ranma just stayed where he was, curled up in the centre of the padded room. The men tread cautiously and who could blame them, the two men who brought him to the room the night before were still in the hospital both with severe concussions, one of which had their neck in a brace and the other had at least three broken ribs and was badly bruised.

They surrounded Ranma and slowly approached him, keeping their guard up, watching him for any movement he made, yet he remained still, no longer gently rocking himself, one of them took hold of him from behind. Ranma took a sharp gasp, his body stiffening, believing he was going to be used again when he was too weak to fight back.

The man felt Ranma stiffen and froze, holding his breath before letting out a relieved breath when nothing happened, the other men came round and took hold of him before gradually lifting him off the floor. One of them released him and placed a set of handcuffs on him like the day before, Ranma was then carried by two of them men, one holding his upper back and the other gripping his legs since he had yet to uncoil.

The third man led them out, opening doors for them and making sure to keep an eye out for any movement the boy made or for anyone who got too close to the boy. Ranma was taken into the same room as yesterday, chained to the wall once again, the men left the room, feeling extremely relieved once they were on the other side of the door.

An Hour Or So Later…

Nodoka entered the building and headed to the room where her patient would be, it didn't take long to arrive, she hesitated when she saw a cart of food outside the door, meant for the boy.

'Odd, why would that be out here?' Nodoka mused as her expression became one of confusion, one of her colleagues came round the corner, she was quite tall at the moment with a rather impressive bust, Nodoka knew though she would be leaving soon to go work at some school and she couldn't blame her considering how much this job forced them to face and with her qualifications it would be easy for her to become a teacher and there was a lot less heartbreak in that line of work.

"You're wondering why the cart isn't in there with the boy" her colleague stated.

"Yeah, I don't understand why no one would of taken it in to him, the boy was more than half starved yesterday, but I get the feeling you know the reason Hinako" Nodoka responded.

"I do know the reason Nodoka, in fact I think you're the only one who doesn't" Hinako responded.

"Oh?" Nodoka questioned.

"Everyone's terrified of him, he put two more people in hospital last night" Hinako responded, Nodoka stiffened, eyes widening.

'How? The boy was starved, there's no way he'd have the strength to do something like that and at his age' Nodoka gasped within her mind but then the boy's words echoed within her mind, what he had called his abuse 'training.'

"So as you can probably guess you're now the one who's bringing him food and water, good luck" Hinako replied, her voice growing more joyful, filled with childlike excitement as her body shrunk down to that of a child.

"Thanks…I take it as your guarding the door in case anything happens" Nodoka chuckled, trying not to burst out laughing at Hinako's nod, it was unbelievable how cute she was in that form and how childlike she acted. Nodoka took the cart and entered the room.

When he heard the door opening Ranma risked glancing up from his little ball, terrified before growing relieved to see Nodoka again and not Dr Saotome, the name still brought fear to his very core.

Nodoka saw Ranma look up from his curled up ball and breathe a sigh of relief she frowned, growing even more confused but was glad to see that the boy on some level accepted her presence.

"I brought you some food" Nodoka said as she wheeled the cart until it was next to Ranma, she was disappointed to see there was only enough food to feed a healthy patient and not someone in Ranma's condition but that was expected since they weren't aware of his condition yet and they wouldn't be until she could submit her report at the end of this session. Nodoka took her seat, when she looked back at Ranma after a second of her gaze leaving him she had expected to see him devouring the food on the cart as fast as he could but he stayed where he was, unmoving and merely eyes the silver dishes on the cart and the food atop them.

Nodoka let out a tired sigh, hoping that when they started talking he would grow comfortable with her company and start eating.

"What's your name?" Nodoka asked.

Once again no reply.

"How old are you?" Nodoka asked, Ranma opened his mouth, Nodoka leaned forward a little in her seat, this had been one of the questions he refused to answer the day before.

"I…I…don't know" Ranma responded, his voice hoarse and rough once again, Nodoka rose her eyebrows at his reply.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Nodoka questioned.

"I don't know how old I am…I don't even know when my birthday is" Ranma replied, not seeing why it would matter how old he was or when he was born, this only pulled at Nodoka's heart strings even more.

"Who hurt you?" Nodoka asked.

Once again she received no reply, she thought for a moment.

"Why did you hurt those men last night?" Nodoka asked, Ranma visibly flinched.

"They…they said a name" Ranma replied.

"A name?" Nodoka questioned, Ranma only nodded, Nodoka frowned she could clearly see whatever the name had been had terrified him, yet she didn't know why.

"What was the name" she then asked.

Ranma remained silent and shook his head, refusing to speak that name, Nodoka let out a tired sigh.

"Who hurt you?" Nodoka asked again, Ranma merely shook his head in silence.

"What did he do?" Nodoka asked, Ranma curled up into a tighter ball and began to rock himself once again.

"Please tell me, I can't help you if you don't tell me" Nodoka beg, Ranma froze his body stiffening.

'Help? Why? Why would she want to help me? Why would anyone want to help me?' these questions whirled around Ranma's mind as he grew more and more confused.

"What's going to happen to me?" Ranma asked, Nodoka stiffened, eyes widening that the boy before her had asked her a question rather than just answering her with information that only answered the question, never giving anything else away and even refusing to answer some of her questions.

"That depends on today" Nodoka replied.

"What will happen to me?" Ranma asked yet again, Nodoka let out a tired sigh.

"If I deem you are mentally fit and healthy you will most likely be placed in a foster home or an orphanage where you will be adopted into a nice family and I will continue to talk with you and help you through this" Nodoka replied, hoping the boy wasn't very perceptive and miss that she had only given him half an answer, her hopes died in vain.

"And if you don't?" Ranma asked, Nodoka let out a depressive sigh.

"You will be put into an asylum where I will try to help you…but most who go into an asylum…never come back out" Nodoka replied, Ranma tensed.

"And now am I…mentally fit?" Ranma asked timidly.

"I don't know, your refuse to give your name and have violent outbursts but that could be due to trauma that I can help you through…at the moment you're on the fence" Nodoka explained, Ranma bowed his head, hoping that wherever he went he wouldn't be used for pleasure or trained in the art once again but those hopes vanished as he knew deep down he couldn't escape his fate.

"What is your name?" Nodoka asked once again.

Ranma went silent and shook his head violently.

"Why won't you tell me your name?" Nodoka asked.

"I don't want to acknowledge it...I want nothing to do with that name" Ranma replied, the light in Nodoka's eyes dimmed.

"Who did this to you? What relation is he to you?" Nodoka asked.

Ranma remained silent.

"Was he a friend?" she asked.

No response.

"Was he family?" she asked.

Ranma stiffened but remained silent.

"Was it an uncle?" she asked.

No response.

"A cousin?" she asked.

The only response she received was when Ranma's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Your father?" she asked, Ranma stiffened and flinched.

'So it was his father who did this to him…what kind of monster could do this…and to their own son' Nodoka gasped within her mind, Ranma began to curl up again, closing off from her.

"Are you hungry?" Nodoka asked, hoping to stop him from closing off, Ranma stopped.

"That food's for you, eat all you want and I'll sea about getting you some more" Nodoka added, Ranma hesitated but slowly rose to his feet before approaching the tray, eyes darting round, searching for anyone who might take it or for any sign it was a trap, when he saw none he began to eat, as fast as he could, never letting his guard down.

Nodoka could only stare as the boy ate at mind boggling speed, she'd never seen anyone eat like that before, almost is afraid half to death that someone would take it from him and he wouldn't survive without it, the food was gone in seconds and Ranma's stomach let out a loud rumble of disapproval of running out of food before having its fill.

"I'll see if I can get you some more once we're done" Nodoka said as she gave him a warm smile.

"Thank you…what are you doing?" Ranma asked, growing confused as did Nodoka.

"You don't have to thank me…but what do you mean by what am I doing?" Nodoka asked frowning.

"What you did with your mouth" Ranma replied, Nodoka's frown grew until Ranma mimicked her by lifting the corners of his mouth with his index fingers before letting them drop.

"You mean smiling?" Nodoka questioned, Ranma nodded.

"Haven't you ever seen a smile before?" Nodoka asked growing more confused.

"Not like that" Ranma replied, shivering as he remembered the dark smirks and lustful grins Genma wore when he wasn't training him, but Ranma did remember a time before that when Genma would talk proudly about him one day marrying someone and uniting the schools when he was four or something, or at least that's how old he thought he was, Genma would smile then but it wasn't like the one Nodoka wore.

No Nodoka bore the smile of a loving mother trying to help her child, a smile Nodoka had always wished to show her baby, the smile of a mother's love was truly the most beautiful smile of all but she knew deep down she would never be able to show him that smile.

'Maybe if he is placed in an orphanage or foster home I would be able to take him home with me…no that would be cruel he is not Ranma and I will not hurt him or insult my son's memory by having him as a replacement for my son' Nodoka thought to herself, feeling her heartbreak but she knew it was for the best, the boy needed a loving family not a single mother who couldn't protect her own child.

A/N Hope you all liked the chappie, not nearly as dark as the other ones in my opinion but that is probably a relief for some of you, plz review and as always I am open to suggestions.


	4. Chapter 4

A man led Ranma down the a hallway, Ranma stayed a couple paces behind him, his hands cuffed, eyes casted downward, refusing to look anywhere but the floor, the man soon came to a stop at a door, Ranma stopped, keeping the distance they were apart the same, the man slid the door open.

"Get in" he said, his voice gruff, Ranma stared into the room, within it was a bath, already run, he took a step back in fear, memories flashing before his mind, the man stared at him.

"Are you deaf go in" he demanded, unaware he was playing with fire, the man himself had been having a pretty bad day, his car broke down on his way to work and he had to walk their in the pouring rain after having his car towed and about five minutes ago he had received the bill and there was a hell of a lot of zeros on that bill.

Ranma fell to his knees and began to curl up on himself, the man approached Ranma, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving it a strong squeeze, Ranma curled up tighter.

"Either go in now or I'll carry ya" he stated, running out of patience, Ranma's hand stretched out, snapping the handcuffs with ease and gripped the man's wrist and gave it a sharp twists, the man hollered in pain as the small child continued to twist his wrist, unfazed by his screams of pain.

Meanwhile…

Nodoka was making her way down the hall, her report in hand, she was disappointed that she would have to tell her boss that the data had been inconclusive, he wasn't bad enough to be locked up and from what she'd heard of his violent outbursts he wasn't well enough to leave, she crossed into the next hallway, then she saw it, she saw Ranma in a curled up position, one hand out and twisting the wrist of a man nearly twice Nodoka's size.

She'd hadn't seen this side to her patient before, like a frightened animal when cornered, he struck out, defending himself trying to get rid of the threat since he couldn't escape.

'Why would he be so scared though?' Nodoka wondered, she approached Ranma from the front, slowly, she passed the man before lowering herself to Ranma's level, she placed her delicate hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay" she whispered, trying to calm him down, Ranma seemed to recognise her voice and began to relax, releasing the man from his grip, the man stumbled back before falling onto his behind, gripping his wrist in pain.

"What the hell is wrong with that kid?" the man spat, fear and hatred mixed into his voice, Ranma recognised the hatred and curled up tighter, not recognising the fear even though it was almost constantly within his voice.

"Nothing is wrong with him, he just needs help" Nodoka responded defensively, refusing to let the man worsen Ranma's condition with his words.

"In that case you can bathe him" the man spat before making his way to nurse's office, hoping she would be able to give some good news about his wrist and he wouldn't need to go to hospital, he wouldn't be able to handle the bill, once he was gone Nodoka turned back to Ranma, he was glancing up at her from behind his knees, eyes shaking in fear.

"Shh it's okay" Nodoka replied when she saw a tear slide out of the corner of his eyes down his cheek, Ranma curled up even tighter, mentally scolding himself for showing weakness, Nodoka stretched her arms around him before lifting him as if he were a new born baby and entered the room, closing and locking the door before placing Ranma atop a wooden school.

"We need to get you cleaned up…do you want some help taking your clothes off?" Nodoka asked, using the sweetest tone she could muster and sound as motherly as she could, Ranma flinched out of fear and quickly went about removing his clothes, using incredible speed, almost like his life depended on him removing his clothes. Little did Nodoka know that was exactly what Ranma was thinking, in his experience if he didn't strip fast enough he would be beaten.

Nodoka's eyes widened when she saw Ranma fully naked, he was quite muscular in some areas but even that didn't hide his malnourishment, she could see the outline of his ribs, heck if she touched them she would be able to feel the gaps and almost curl her fingers round each individual one, his body was coated in scars, but that wasn't all, there was tell-tale signs of bruising on his upper arms, legs and a few other areas, they were large even though they had almost faded, the wounds looked like those one would receive from been held down and…

Nodoka felt tears well in her eyes once again as her mind processed all this but refused to come to the final conclusion and the way the boy looked at her was heart breaking, he seemed to have withdrawn all emotion, even fear and just stood there waiting, watching her, making no attempt to hide his embarrassment anymore as if accepting that she would use him and was waiting for it.

"I see…so that's why you…reacted that way…to the men…" Nodoka trailed off, tears streaming down her cheeks, now understanding his reasoning, he had thought the men were going to take advantage of him, use him.

"What do you want me to do?" Ranma asked, his tone void of emotion, hoping that he wouldn't be punished for speaking, he could see there was no escape, Nodoka stood, blocking the only exit, the door, there was no window, no other door and so Ranma simply waited to be used deciding that no matter what he did it would happen and it would be better to not receive the beating for resisting.

"Sit on the stool" Nodoka said, her voice shaking, Ranma obeyed, acting almost soullessly he took a seat atop the stool and awaited his fate.

"Listen to me" Nodoka began, lowering herself to Ranma's level. "I would never…do that to…you…I would never do that…I will protect you from that…I promise you 'that' will never happen again" Nodoka declared, tears falling freely, Ranma stared, confusion upon his face.

'What is this? Is she playing some game, some form of foreplay, trick me into been disobedient so she can beat me? Or does she actually care?' these questions and more whirled around Ranma's mind as he tried to work out Nodoka's motives.

Nodoka picked up a small wooden barrel and filled it with cold water before cleaning Ranma's hair, once his hair was consumed by suds she poured the cold water over his head, washing the suds away, the change happened instantly, Ranma shrunk by at least half his size, his form turned more frail looking, more weak and vulnerable, his hair turned scarlet and a certain area of the male anatomy vanished.

'So this was her plan…make me let down my guard and trigger the change…I've never experienced this kind of foreplay before' Ranma mused as Nodoka merely stared at her, eyes wide, she stumbled back and fell onto the ground, where once sat a boy around ten to twelve years old now sat a small redheaded girl who couldn't be more than five or six.

"W…what?" Nodoka stammered, shocked beyond belief, Ranma merely looked at her with the same look from before, waiting to be mused, Nodoka now sat between her and the door meaning Ranma's chances for escape were miniscule at best, none existent and all she could do was wait.

"What happened to you?" Nodoka asked nervously, Ranma tilted her head to the side.

'She doesn't know about the curse…no she must have known…this is just more of her foreplay' Ranma thought, continuing to wait for her to use her or for her to beat her for not playing along, deciding she'd rather not risk been beaten in her weaker, eternally young form she decided to play along.

"Po…he took me to a training ground in China, known as Jusenkyo and threw me in the spring of drowned girl" Ranma replied, expecting Nodoka to reply with something like 'why were you a bad boy, do you need to be punished' or something else along those lines, it wouldn't be the first time she heard them and she doubted it would be the last, Genma usually kept Ranma to himself but if someone offered the right price, in other words offered him anything Ranma would be rented out to them.

"Why…would he…?" Nodoka stopped, she remembered what Ranma had told her about his father and decided to avoid the whole reason of why.

"Why did you turn into a girl?" Nodoka asked.

"Those who touch the water of the spring take on the form of whatever drowned their every time they touch cold water and will revert back to their true form whenever they touch hot water" Ranma replied, her tone once again without emotion, Ranma tilted her head in the opposite direction, trying to work out if Nodoka was actually concerned or just a very good actress.

"But your age…?" Nodoka objected.

"I was six when I was tossed into the spring and as such I am cursed to take on the body of a six year old girl whenever I take this form…the only way this form will age is if I am locked in it or remain in the form for long periods of time, I'm not sure how long" Ranma explained, remembering what she'd been told in China by the Amazons the one time she managed to escape her…father. She would of stayed in the form to make it age but she couldn't bare it, to be so weak and vulnerable, so frail, her female form could snap like a dried out twig from small amounts of force and so she tried to avoid the form whenever she could.

Nodoka pulled Ranma into a hug, Ranma didn't respond, he didn't understand what she was doing, she was hugged a while back by an amazon but never understood its meaning and now she was been hugged again. Tears slid down Nodoka's easy as she began to heavily weep, unable to believe that a monster such as Ranma's father even existed it made her doubt kami himself for surely he wouldn't create such a monster…would he?

Nodoka pulled back and looked Ranma in the eyes, confused why she didn't respond.

"Why did you do that?" Ranma asked.

"Haven't you ever been hugged before?" Nodoka asked, thinking the reasoning was simple to anyone who had ever been hugged.

"Once but…I still don't understand…what the point of a hug is" Ranma responded.

"Well in this case, it is to comfort you…show you that not everyone is out to hurt you" Nodoka responded, hoping the little girl in front of her would understand.

'So she hasn't only been abused physically and sexually but emotionally too…she doesn't understand emotions of any kind…she can't learn that here or in an asylum but there's no way she's ready to be fostered or adopted and she won't be until she learns about emotions' Nodoka thought to herself, making sure to mention this to her superiors.

"Oh" Ranma sighed, glancing at the floor once again.

"Come on let's get you clean up and then once you're back in your room I'll send you some food" Nodoka said, Ranma positively beamed at hearing this, Nodoka helped her into the warm bath, she reverted back instantly, Nodoka supressed her shock, she had to be calm around Ranma, never let him know she was nervous and scared, she had to be strong for him.

A Couple Hours Later…

Nodoka knocked before entering the office of her superior, she faced her boss, she was a tall woman with long black hair, wearing a business suit, leaning back in her desk chair and her brown eyes sparkled with interest when she saw Nodoka enter the room.

"Ah Dr Saotome, it is nice to see you, now perhaps you could shed some light on the subject of that young boy" she greeted.

"Yes, Miss Tsunami" Nodoka greeted, Tsunami smirked at Nodoka using her first name, it wasn't normal but it was refreshing.

"From what I have found out the boy has been abused physically, sexually and emotionally, doesn't understand emotions and seems to think all those around him only want to cause him pain and see him suffer, the father was the one who caused this, he doesn't know his mother, heck before yesterday he didn't even know what a mother was, he is malnourished and will respond violently when cornered or if he feels he is trapped" Nodoka explained as she placed a lengthy report on Tsunami's desk, her employer gave it a quick glance before looking back at Nodoka.

"What is his name?" Tsunami asked.

"He never gave it, he refuses to tell me" Nodoka responded.

"Age?" Tsunami asked.

"He doesn't know" Nodoka responded.

"Is he fit to be given to social services to find a home for him or does he need to go to the asylum?" Tsunami asked, Nodoka hesitated.

"So far the data is…inconclusive he isn't bad enough to need to be locked up and he can't be put in with a family…not until he can understand emotions at the very least, there's a risk someone tries to show him affection and he could interpret it as a threat…it's too risky" Nodoka replied.

"So you need more time with him" Tsunami stated.

"Yes" Nodoka sighed.

"Well I think we both know the boy can't learn about emotions here, especially with the time slots" Tsunami sighed.

"So what do you suggest I do?" Nodoka asked.

"Take the boy home, try to teach him about emotions and to let people in, I'll send someone round to act as a bodyguard in case he becomes unstable and I want you to spend as much time around him as you can" Tsunami stated.

"Why me?" Nodoka asked, unable to think of a worse situation due to the loss of her own son, it could damage them both.

"Because everyone else who's been with him is in the hospital and you're the only one who's been speaking to him, listening to him, you've already formed a small bond, use it…besides maybe this child can help you through the loss of your own son" Tsunami responded.

"But this isn't…" Nodoka began but is interrupted.

"I know it isn't how things work, that it's not protocol and that I'm going against the system but in this case we have no choice, either he goes home with you or is put in an asylum and you can go there to talk to him and we both know that an asylum would only damage him further but I can't risk the public safety by placing him into a family too early" Tsunami replied.

"…Fine…I'll take him home with me…but don't bother with your bodyguard it would only make matters worse if he does go unstable, I can calm him down but I won't be able to if he's worried about a bodyguard…besides I can protect myself" Nodoka replied, muttering the last part, which Tsunami heard.

"I know you can…now go get the boy and go home and as long as you make progress with him you will receive full pay" Tsunami added, Nodoka nodded and left, heading to Ranma's room to collect him.

Meanwhile…

Ranma lightly rocked his body back and forth within his room, his food already long gone and he was still hungry, he heard movement outside but gave it no mind, there was a knock at the door before it opened, he glanced at it and saw Nodoka enter his room, he stared at her and continued to rock his body in a curled up position.

"Come with me" Nodoka said in a motherly tone.

"Where?" Ranma asked as he stopped rocking.

"You're coming home with me…we're going to continue our talks there and slowly introduce you to society" Nodoka replied, Ranma rose to his feet and walked up to her, Nodoka offered him her hand, he didn't take it so she simply led him to her car, once they were in she made sure he was belted and safe before setting off.

A/N Sorry I took so long, had some writers block, plz review and as always I am open to suggestions.


	5. Chapter 5

The drive itself was made in silence, neither the driver nor the passenger willing to say anything, so Nodoka concentrated on the road and Ranma simply let his mind wonder, wondering what Nodoka had in store for him.

The minute Nodoka pulled up into her drive the rain began to pour, erupting from the heavens, Nodoka let out a tired sigh, if she'd left work just two minutes earlier she would have made inside just before the rain began.

"Looks like we're going to have to run" Nodoka chuckled, glancing to Ranma, hoping to see some amusement to her statement and yet she saw none, she let out another sigh before opening the door and bracing herself before leaping out, slamming the door shut and running to the front door, under the protection of the porch, she glanced back to see Ranma slowly get out of the car, shut the door and walk towards her, her curse triggering, Nodoka bleeped the lock on the car.

Ranma shrunk down in height once again, her clothes became baggy, literally falling off her yet she paid them no mind and stopped beside Nodoka, she unlocked the door and stepped in, holding the door open for the young girl, the minute she was in the door was shut and locked, Nodoka slid off her shoes, Ranma did the same, if you could call the tattered remains shoes.

"Okay, looks like we'll need to get you out of those clothes" Nodoka sighed, her clothing only fairly damp thanks to her haste, but Ranma, her clothes were drenched and they were falling off when they were dry, she looked down at Ranma to see her pants and boxers around her ankles and to see her just looking up at her as she began to remove her top, which on her looked more like a dress.

Ranma tossed the shirt aside and stepped out of the clothes that had slid down of their own accord; she stepped out of them and kicked them next to her shirt, never looking away from Nodoka, expecting her to either give her an instruction or to make the first move like so many others had done before.

'She still thinks I only want to use and abuse her' Nodoka sighed within her mind, beginning to feel her tears return, she had to show the child she wasn't like that, she could say it all she wanted but now it was obvious she would have to prove to her that she won't treat her like that. Nodoka crouched down and picked up Ranma's clothes.

"Please come this way" Nodoka said in a kind tone, leading Ranma to an almost western style living room, with a couple sofas for company, a TV and a fireplace, she lit the fire and placed Ranma's clothes in front of them to dry.

"Why don't you sit in front of the fire and warm up while I see if I can find you something to wear" Nodoka said, keeping her tone kind and motherly, Ranma did as instructed, sitting in front of the fire and she had to admit…it felt nice, warm, safe, bringing back memories of her father before he changed, when they would train all day, eat and then fall asleep in their sleeping bags next a warm fire.

Nodoka headed to her room, pulling a cardboard box from above her wardrobe, she opened it reveal that it was full of clothes for little girls.

'I knew these would come in handy' Nodoka thought proudly, she had saved a bunch of her clothes from when she was little, mainly in hopes of been able to give them to her daughter should she have one, not that she hoped for a girl, she would have been happy no matter the gender of her baby and she was when Ranma was born but she always sworn on been prepared if she could be.

Nodoka lifted out a small, pink, nightie that she wore when was seven, she had been small for her age, but it would still be a bit big on Ranma but it was better than her walking around naked or in drenched clothes that were far too big for her. Nodoka headed back down to the living room to see the petite redhead curled up, fast asleep, next to the fire.

A small smile grew upon Nodoka's face, she didn't have the heart to wake the girl, she looked, so innocent, so peaceful, cute and beautiful in her sleep, even with her scars and bruising, at that moment she had her innocence and once again Nodoka couldn't see how anyone could have the heart to harm such an angel, she placed the nightie next to the sleeping girl, pulling a cream blanket from atop the back of her sofa, for decoration originally, she placed it over the girl, next she took a couch cushion, she slowly and carefully lifted the girl's head, slid the pillow under it before lowering her head back down. She looked over the child, a motherly glow in her eyes long since faded returning and glowing brightly, she turned and headed to the kitchen to start making dinner.

Nodoka didn't see one of the girl's eyes slowly open to watch her leave before slowly closing again, she began curling up, snuggling into the blanket, embracing the warm feeling all around her, how soft the blanket was and how safe she felt.

2 Hours Later…

Nodoka returned to the living room to see the girl's eyes slowly begin to squeeze tighter, she curled up tighter, obviously having a nightmare, she heard low moans of 'no' and 'get away' she began to toss, fortunately far enough from the fire that the blanket didn't go in, Nodoka made sure of that.

Nodoka rushed to Ranma's side and pulled her into her lap, pulling her close to her, lightly tracing circles on her upper back.

"Shh, Shh, it's only a dream, it's not real, you're safe" Nodoka whispered in a motherly tone, lightly rocking child back and forth, trying to calm her and slowly but surely she stopped resisting her and settled down, Nodoka pulled her head back to see the young girl once again sleeping peacefully, for about two minutes, before her eyes began to slowly open.

When Ranma first saw Nodoka her first instincts were to clutch onto her with all her might and never let go, her second instinct was to run and the third to wait for the inevitable, the inevitable that never came.

"Oh…sorry for waking you…you were having a nightmare and I tried to help" Nodoka explained, the girl, still wrapped in a blanket, merely cocked her head to the side, still trying to work Nodoka out, she was like no one she'd ever met before, the way she treated her, it was so, foreign to her.

"Well, since you're awake, how about we get you dressed and go have some dinner?" Nodoka offered; Ranma's eyes lit up at the prospect of food, the girl's reaction brought a smile to Nodoka's face, while also bringing a sensation of dread when she imagined what the girl had been through to make food mean so much to her. Ranma nodded eagerly, Nodoka placed her on the floor and watched as Ranma removed the blanket, carefully folding it and sliding it towards Nodoka much to her surprise, especially after seeing how she had treat the only clothing she had, Ranma approached her still drying clothes only to have Nodoka stop her.

"No, they still need to dry and I think this would be more appropriate for your age" Nodoka said, surprising herself with her motherly tone, she wasn't even trying that time, it was instinct, Ranma turned to where Nodoka had indicated and saw the pink nightie.

Normally Ranma, before all this, would have been repulsed by the idea of wearing something so 'girly' but a lot had happened and so she simply obeyed, slipping the nightie on, it covered het up until half way down her lower legs, it left most of her arms bare, exposing her scars and bruises but apart from that, Nodoka could almost squeal at how cute Ranma looked in that nightie, a few sizes too big, her hair down and wild, the sight was adorable.

Nodoka offered Ranma her hand, inwardly sighing when she still refused to take it so she simply led her to the dining room, pulling a seat out for her, Ranma climbed onto the seat, a little big for her and Nodoka slid her into the table, the dining table was big enough for eight, three on either side and one on either end of the table.

Nodoka disappeared for a moment before returning, two bowls of ramen in hand, she placed one where she was sat and placed another in front of Ranma, this on its own surprised Ranma, she had expected it to be like all the times she ate with Genma, she would eat her fill and Ranma would get what she left and then would have to protect her own while she tried to take food from her, if she left anything but instead she had her own portion.

'Maybe she's going straight to the fight for food' Ranma mused, but that thought vanished when she saw Nodoka take a seat and say a small prayer that Ranma did not hear before slowly eating her ramen with a spoon, making no attempt at his or even indicating that she would, Nodoka noticed that Ranma wasn't eating and was watching her with a bewildered expression.

"Don't you like ramen?" Nodoka asked, worried she had made something the young girl couldn't eat, worrying she might be allergic to some of the ingredients or couldn't stand the taste, completely unaware that ramen was Ranma's favourite dish and a rare treat for her, Ranma nodded.

"Then why aren't you eating, is something wrong?" Nodoka asked, Ranma only tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"I'm your therapist…you can tell me" Nodoka added, Ranma repositioned her head and seemed to be considering it for a moment.

"Pop…err…he…he used to not let me eat until he ate and then try to steal what was left from my plate" Ranma admitted, her voice shaking, she hated this form, it made her feel weak and vulnerable but if this is the form Nodoka preferred, the one she wanted then Ranma would give her it, Nodoka could only gawk, every time the girl before her opened her mouth or she asked a question about her life it only got worse and now Nodoka felt if she ever found who did this to her she would give them a personal demonstration in her skill of kendo with a real katana, she couldn't stand that someone could abuse the child before her like her father had, her FATHER, the monster.

"Don't worry, I won't do that to you, now eat up and if you're still hungry there's more in the kitchen and I don't mind getting you more" Nodoka replied, fighting a giggle when she saw Ranma's face light up once again in happiness, not having to be told twice Ranma went to work on the bowl and within seconds it was empty, Nodoka was wide eyed at what she saw, she'd never seen anyone eat that fast, not even her…husband.

"Would you like some more?" Nodoka asked, Ranma averted her gaze, blushing when she saw Nodoka's shocked expression and shyly nodded, Nodoka stood up, taking her bowl and heading in the kitchen to refill it before returning.

"Now this time I want you to eat slower, taste the food, enjoy it" Nodoka instructed, Ranma nodded, her whole body now blushing scarlet she headed back to her own seat and resumed eating her own dinner, watching as Ranma ate at a much slower pace.

3 Hours Later…

Nodoka carried the now sleeping redhead up the stairs, unable to believe the girl had literally dropped off after eating her twentieth bowl of ramen, then again she didn't realize that what Ranma had just eaten that night was the equivalent to more than Ranma would get in forty days when she had been with her father and as such was now ready for a night's sleep.

Nodoka walked past her son's room, briefly glancing at the door, she hadn't been in that room since the day her son was taken, it was the same as how he left it, she couldn't bare the pain of entering it, she took the sleeping girl to the guest room and tucked her into the single bed, the room was simple, a single dresser with a mirror, a small closet, white walls and thin curtains and was fairly small with light green carpet, once she took the girl in Nodoka silently and quickly slid out of the room before everything was locked up, dishes were clean before heading to bed herself.

A/N Hope you all liked the chappie, sorry I took so long and thank you all for reviewing and I hope you all continue to review and as always I am open to suggestions.


	6. Chapter 6

Ranma slowly stirred awake and sat up in her bed, light was creeping in around the curtains, lighting the room, she gave it a quick look over before slipping out of bed and approaching the door, catching herself in the dresser mirror, she didn't even recognise herself, she looked exactly how you'd imagine a six year old girl with scarlet hair in a pink nightie would look like. She opened the door and headed into the hallway.

She approached the stairs, the scent of food cooking wafted up and entered her petite nose, her mouth began to water and she felt the familiar emptiness within her stomach.

'What am I thinking, I got fed last night…it will be a while before I get anymore' she scolded herself within her mind, feeling a pain in her stomach as she imagined how long she would have to wait before she could eat again, especially considering how much she ate last night. She slowly headed down stairs, wondering what the day would have in store for her, she heard voices on when she was about to enter the kitchen, following her nose, wondering what Nodoka would want her to do.

She hesitated before slowly pushing the door open a crack and peeking through it and was greeted by the sight of Nodoka, wearing a violet kimono, an apron on top, working at the stove, frying pan in hand, on the counter beside her were three plates, each with small stacks of pancakes on them.

Nodoka was talking to someone, Ranma moved her gaze and found it landing on a tall woman, wearing a bright sundress with long brown hair that reached where her rear would be if not concealed by the dress, her hair tied in a scarlet ribbon and she had a bright smile upon her face and seemed to give out a motherly aura.

Change Perspective…

Nodoka stood at the stove, making pancakes for herself and her guests, Kimiko had dropped by for a friendly visit and wanted to catch up.

"So how come you're making three plates?" Kimiko asked.

"Because as of yesterday I have one of my patients staying with me" Nodoka responded, a small smile upon her face.

"Oh, I didn't think that was allowed" Kimiko replied, a slight frown upon her face.

"It's not procedure no…but she needs me" Nodoka replied, not really sure on how she should address gender at the moment.

"Oh…that bad?" Kimiko sighed, wincing at her own imagination.

"Worse…her father's a monster…but that's all I can tell you and you know it" Nodoka replied, Kimiko pouted at hearing Nodoka's words, Nodoka merely giggled at seeing her old friend pout like a little girl, it was so cute.

"So what's her name?" Kimiko asked.

"She refuses to tell me" Nodoka replied.

"Oh…well that's going to get confusing later, what you gonna do when you need to talk to her go 'hey you?'" Kimiko asked with a small chuckle.

"I'm hoping she'll trust me with her name soon" Nodoka sighed, she then stiffened when she saw the door open a crack, she had made sure to shut it lessen the chance of waking her guest when she and Kimiko spoke, she narrowed her gaze slightly and saw a small amount of Ranma's face through it, her blue eye shaking a little.

'Oh I hope she isn't intimidated by Kimiko' Nodoka thought to herself, not sure if that was possible, Kimiko was the least intimidating person she knew of, excluding her ten year old daughter Kasumi.

"Dear you don't have to hide, come on in" Nodoka said, her voice turning motherly again, surprising Kimiko, she hadn't heard Nodoka talk like that since Ranma, the door slowly creaked open and Kimiko had to fight her instincts to hug and squeeze the life out of Ranma, she couldn't believe how cute the child was, that reaction soon died when she saw the scars and bruises.

"Dear this is Kimiko, she's an old friend of mine, Kimiko this is my guest" Nodoka introduced, hating that she had to address Ranma as guest, but since she didn't have a name she had no choice.

"It's nice to meet you" Kimiko greeted, slowly approaching Ranma before lowering herself to Ranma's level.

"Err…hi" Ranma stammered, worried that if she didn't respond she'd be punished, the last time she'd heard the words 'She's an old friend' well let's just say it didn't end well for Ranma. Kimiko saw the terrified look in the girl's eyes and felt her heart strain, unable to believe what she was seeing, the girl was petrified of her.

"Don't worry, Kimiko won't hurt you" Nodoka said, she too saw how scared the little girl was, she placed the final pancake on Ranma's plate and proceeded to carry them, one on each hand and one on her arm.

"Kimiko could you open the door?" Nodoka asked, Kimiko nodded and opened the door, Nodoka when through, using her head to gesture for the two to follow her, they go the message and followed her to the dining room, Ranma sat in the seat he sat in before, Nodoka once again at the head of the table and Kimiko had sat opposite her.

Ranma stared at the pancakes placed in front of her, she couldn't believe she was getting fed again, she couldn't understand Nodoka or her reasons for been so kind, Nodoka glanced at Ranma, worried when she saw she wasn't eating like the night before.

"I something wrong dear?" Nodoka asked, Ranma flinched, she didn't want to offend Nodoka and risk losing her kindness, she didn't understand why she was been fed after eating so much last night but she wasn't going to be rude or disrespectful so she shook her head.

"What are these?" Ranma asked as she prodded one with a fork.

"Pancakes, a western recipe" Nodoka replied, normally she was one for tradition but she tried pancakes when she went to Europe for a year before going to college, she tried them once and fell in love with the taste, Ranma watched as Nodoka poured some honey on to hers and then watched Kimiko do the same, she's never seen it before.

"Do you want some honey?" Kimiko asked in a motherly tone.

"Honey?" Ranma asked before she could stop herself and hoped she wouldn't be punished for even thinking she deserved something that the two woman seemed to like.

"Here try some" Kimiko replied, holding back her reaction at hearing the child hadn't even heard of honey or pancakes but there was no doubt in her mind that this wasn't even the tip of the tip of the tip of the iceberg when it came to the girl before her, she poured some honey onto the pancakes, but not too much.

Ranma hesitantly tasted the food and squealed in delight, throughout her entire life she had tasted nothing that catered to her sweet tooth, the two women giggled at the girls reaction as they watched her dive into the meal, though making sure not to swallow them whole like Nodoka had told her not to do last night.

'Well looks like I'm not the only one with a sweet tooth' Nodoka giggled within her mind, she herself had a very demanding sweet tooth, she then frowned and her expression became one of deep thought.

'I need to buy her and him some proper clothes, I doubt she'd love to spend too much time in that body after getting…raped but I can't let her only wear what she wore when she was found…a quick shopping trip would fix that…but…is it safe…would she react positively to been in public so soon' Nodoka mused, it wasn't like she knew what size to buy her clothes so she couldn't just ask Kimiko to pick some up when she got chance.

"You know dear…we really need something to call you to make things easier…so if you're sure you don't want to tell us your name why don't we see if we can come up with a name you like?" Kimiko suggested, Ranma stiffened and stared at Kimiko for a moment before tilting her head to one side, the sight was rather cute.

"Would you like that?" Nodoka asked.

'A new name…I'd be free…free of the name I'm cursed to bear…free' Ranma screamed within her mind, hoping with all her heart that if she got a new name she would be free of the pain she endured, she would be somebody else not the one people loved to cause pain, Ranma eagerly nodded.

'She really does hate the name she has' Nodoka thought to herself, her mental tone one of depression.

"How about…Kimiko?" Kimiko suggested, Nodoka face faulted.

'Figures…when will I learn never to take her seriously' Nodoka deadpanned within her mind before sitting back up.

"I think that would be even more confusing Kimiko" Nodoka sighed, resting her head within her palm.

"What about Nodoka, Kasumi, Nabiki, Akane, Kodachi" Kimiko listened and with each one Nodoka deadpanned one again.

"I swear I can't even tell when you're serious anymore" Nodoka droned, Kimiko merely giggled and blew Nodoka a raspberry.

"Well let's hear your suggestions" Kimiko replied in a mocking tone of been offended, Nodoka looked in thought for a couple minutes.

'If I ever had a daughter I always wanted to name her…Ranko' Nodoka mused to herself, making a mental note to come up with a name to use when Ranma was male.

"How about Ranko?" Nodoka asked, Ranma's head shot up and she looked at Nodoka with wide eyes, she glanced at Ranma.

"What do you think?" Nodoka asked.

"Ranko" Ranma whispered, it seemed to fit, it was similar to her old name but still…she liked it, she grew a small smile.

"I'll take that as a yes" Nodoka giggled, unable to believe that the girl before her had been so violent before, she had seen no violent behaviour demonstrated or anything to even hint at her been violent except from what she'd been told.

Meanwhile…

A dark figure stumbled into Nerima, he wore a white GI, covered in dirt and sweat, his breath stank of sake, his glasses slightly cracked.

'I swear when I get my hands on that little brat I'll teach him a lesson he'll never forget…then I'll finish his training and marry him off to one of Soun's daughters and then I will have the easy life, the life I deserve with the boy still around to _pay_ me for training him and he will obey me while I live off the money he makes' Genma muttered within his mind, his mental tone been bitter at first before leading off to a maniacal laugh.

"But still I better avoid Nodoka…I may have changed a lot but I can't risk her recognising me" Genma muttered, he really had changed a lot since he'd last past through Nerima, he now had no trace of hair, was fat, dirtier, older and more experienced but there was still the risk his wife would notice him and before he had finished moulding the boy.

A/N Hope you all liked the chapter, sorry it's shorter than the others, plz review and as always I am open to suggestions.


	7. Chapter 7

Later…

Kimiko had left the duo some time ago now and Nodoka was still debating on whether she could take the newly named Ranko to a public place or if it was too risky, she herself had seen no hint of malice, ill intent or any kind of violent abuse yet from what she heard appearances were definitely deceiving and Ranko had already put several of her co-workers in the hospital.

Currently they were both in the living room, Nodoka sat in a green comfy chair as Ranko, still wearing her nightie sat next to the roaring fire, staring into it, lost in her own thoughts.

'Ranko…Ranko…that's who I am now, no longer do I have to bear the name of Ranma Saotome…Ranko a girl's name…this body has brought me only pain in the past…but now…it's given me freedom' these thoughts swirled around Ranko's mind, that is until Nodoka cleared her throat, attracting her attention.

"Ranko…if I took you into town…erm…do you feel that you are ready to be around a lot of people?" Nodoka asked, Ranko seemed to pale at the idea, she was rarely around other people thanks to one Genma Saotome and those he did meet usually used her for her body in whatever way they pleased and so understandably the idea of been around a large number of people terrified her. To Nodoka Ranko's reaction was more than easy to read, she let out a tired sigh.

"Very well, we will take baby steps Ranko" Nodoka sighed, it was at this point she was struck with inspiration, she headed to her laptop and began pulling up shopping web sites, her gaze momentarily moved to Ranko.

"Ranko could you pass me those clothes?" Nodoka asked, nodding towards the clothes she had been found in, currently folded near the fire, Ranko nodded, she reached over and grabbed the pile and took it over to Nodoka who proceeded to check there sizes.

"Erm…what are you doing?" Ranko asked, her whole body tensing on reflex, expecting to be hit, Nodoka noticed this unconscious reaction and inwardly cursed the child's father once again.

"I'm ordering you some new clothes for your male form" Nodoka explained.

"New clothes?" Ranko asked, eyes widening, she was rarely blessed with this, normally she would be forced to steal her own clothes, never had she received any new ones.

"Yes" Nodoka replied in a motherly tone

'She's like a…an angel…no one's ever been so kind to me…but do I deserve it?' Ranko cried out within her mind, her father's words echoing throughout her mind.

'You're worthless, pathetic, slut, dishonourable, weak, girl, you don't even deserve this, you're a waste of space' those phrases and so much more constantly flashed before her, filling her out with a sense of worthlessness, tears began to brew behind her eyes and she quickly looked away from Nodoka, not willing to show her, her tears, her weakness, Nodoka didn't deserve to deal with her problems.

'She doesn't need my problems…I already eat her food, take her clothes, her money, she's kind to me…I'm already an inconvenience to her…I can't let her see how pathetic I am…she doesn't deserve a burden such as myself' Ranko wept within her mind.

Nodoka frowned when she saw Ranko quickly look away from her, her entire body stiffened when she saw a single tear fly off her face when she turned.

'She's crying…but why?' Nodoka asked herself.

"Ranko…what's wrong?" Nodoka asked.

"Nothing…I just…don't deserve your kindness" Ranko stated, not willing to face Nodoka, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Of course you do…everyone deserves kindness, you more than anyone I've ever met" Nodoka, replied, trying to comfort her, moving in behind her.

"No I don't…I'm nothing…worthless…a burden you don't deserve to bare" Ranko continued, her head falling, her bangs hiding her face.

"Sweetie you're not a burden…" Nodoka replied.

"Yes I am!" Ranko screamed before running off and out of Nodoka's reach, Nodoka sprinted past her to block the door to the corridor only to have Ranko alter her direction with incredible agility and head out the side door into the dining room and so Nodoka gave chase.

Ranko was fast but so was Nodoka, just as Ranko was about to open the door from the dining room to the kitchen, planning to go through the hallway and out the door, freeing Nodoka of the burden that was herself only to have Nodoka dive on top of her, pinning her down.

"Let me go" Ranko squealed, trying desperately to escape.

"No! not until you listen to me, you are not worthless or a burden and you are not pathetic Ranko, you're a sweet innocent child who has suffered more than most people do in their entire lives…you are not a burden to me Ranko if anything to me you are a blessing to my life and this world" Nodoka said, forcing a squirming Ranko to the ground, Ranko's whole body stiffened at hearing Nodoka's words.

"How am I a blessing?" Ranko asked.

"My son was taken away from me years ago…for years I have cried myself to sleep and sat alone in this house just waiting for him to walk through that door…my house is empty of life and happiness…at least it was before you arrived, you haven't been here long but just having you here makes me happy…you bring back the few memories of the times my son was here" Nodoka explained, tears brimming in her eyes, all Ranko's struggling ceased and Nodoka got off of her.

"I'm sorry" Ranko said, her voice but a whisper.

'Great…I'm even taking the place in her heart where her son belongs…not me…I'm ruining everything' Ranko screamed within her mind.

"You didn't know…well why don't you find something to amuse yourself and I'll make us some dinner" Nodoka said.

'I'm getting fed again…I don't deserve this kindness' Ranko cried out within her mind but physically she merely nodded and headed through the kitchen and straight upstairs, head bowed in depression as it continued to set in.

A/N Sorry I've taken so long to update and it's so short, plz review and as always I am open to suggestions.


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